Walking on shaded paths, you are greeted by the sound of water running through the wetland, the smell of flowers in bloom, and the sight of beautiful flowers. A yellow trumpet tree is abuzz with bees, wasps and butterflies have all come to feed on the bright yellow blossoms.

As a breeze blows, a small shower of flowers softly falls to the ground. A crested anole lounges on a palm; tiny inchworm stretches between two tiny flowers. Bamboo clusters gently sway with the wind. The 50-acre garden and historical home was once the residence of Harry and Mary Jane Leu, who donated it to the City of Orlando in 1961.

Movie swim queen Esther Williams learned to water ski for her role as a fictional Cypress Gardens headliner in the 1953 musical "Easy to Love." In an early scene, she dons a frothy "Southern Belle" frock to pose for visitors' snapshots. Gardens founder Dick Pope Sr. himself, cast as a camera-carrying...

Today is National Cheesecake Day and in the test kitchen we're chilling with some easy frozen spins based on the sweet flavor of the creamy dessert. But before you get ready to make Strawberry-Lime Frozen Cheesecake Pops and more at OrlandoSentinel.com/thedish, let's dish: